Orbis Europe (Hürth, Germany; www.orbiseurope.eu) has expanded its European presence with a production and distribution facility. The new Packaging Distribution Center, which opened in mid-January 2023 in Ypres, Belgium, now has 2,300 m² of additional warehouse space. Packaging solutions for transporting battery cells, for example, can be assembled and temporarily stored at the site, the company said. Financial details of the cost for the facility were not disclosed.

Orbis is a subsidiary of the US-based Menasha Corporation (Neenah, Wisconsin; www.menasha.com), which specialises in the production of returnable plastic transport packaging and pallets. The company employs more than 3,130 at 47 locations domestically and in Europe, Mexico, and Canada; it recently reported turnover of more than USD 2 bn (EUR 1.86 bn).

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Orbis processes HDPE and polypropylene into foldable, large load carriers; plastic pallets; and small load carriers, with the level of recycled content cited at 85% to 90%. Some material comes from the Orbis Ocean in Mind programme, which collects plastics waste near major waterways, said Jürgen Krahé, the senior commercial director for EMEA.